Mode of fastening skates



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oratori.

JOHN CHARLTON, OF NEVARK, NElV JERSEY.

MODE 0F FASTENING SKATES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,349, dated March 29, 1859.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CHARLTON, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsmaking part of this speciication, in which- Figure l, represents a side elevation of a skate constructed according to my improvements, and Fig. 2, is an inverted plan of ditto.

Similar letters of reference in the two tlg uros indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging at the front part of the skate a cap which adjusts itself by means of slides to the size of different feet and which is drawn up to the toes by means of the straps which serve to fasten the skates to the feet.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and constructmy invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the stock of a skate to which the skate iron B, is attached in the usual manner. The edges of the stock A, are made liat so as to give surface enough to attach the rods B, one to each side of the stock and near to its front end. These rods are flattened down at both ends so that two flanges a, a, are formed, which are large enough to admit screws of sullicient strength, and these flanges are bent down so as to raise the round part of the rods B. These rods serve for guides to the slides C, which lit loosely over the same so that they play freely not only in a longitudinal direction but that they also turn easily on the rods, and to these slides the toe cap D, is attached by means of rivets c, c, or in any other suit able manner. This cap is constructed of leather, india rubber or of any other similar substance, and it may even be made of metal; I prefer however a yielding substance, as toe-caps made out of the latter adapt themselves more readily to the size of different feet.

Two buckles D, D, are attached to the top of this toe cap, one on each side of the same and attached to the back end of the stock A, is another cap E, to which the straps F, F, are rigidly attached. A gore is cut into the cap E, so that the same adapts itself to the shape of the foot above the heel.

The operation is as follows The foot is placed on the stock A, with the heel close up to the cap E, and the toes are brought into the cap D, and the straps F, F, are fastened crosswise into the buckles D, D', as clearly represented in Fig. 1. By pulling the straps tight the cap D, is drawn close up to the toes and it serves to hold the front part of the foot perfectly firm on the skates and at the same time the pressure of the straps on the toes is somewhat mitigated by the cap D. By pulling the straps F, F, the cap E, is also drawn close up to the foot and by means of the gore out into the same the heel is pressed down firmly on the stock A.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The arrangement of the selfeadjusting toe cap D, which is attached to the stock of a skate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN CHARLTON.

Vitnesses SAMUEL WILcoX, HALLIBURTON LITTLE. 

